Electrical Certificates for UK Landlords
Prior to the commencement of a tenancy, an electrical safety check must be commissioned and must be carried out by a competent person to ensure that the supply of electricity and all of the appliances are legal. This includes supplying instruction books where needed for safe use.
IMPORTANT: As a Landlord, any failure to comply with the Electrical Regulations may constitute a criminal offence under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 that carries a maximum penalty on summary conviction of a £5000.00 fine and/or six months imprisonment. Click here to read a electrical certificates case study.
This Regulation means that Landlords have a legal obligation and a duty of care to ensure that the electrical installation and the electrical equipment supplied is certified and safe. The Regulations have been mandatory since 1st January 1997.
The Regulations state that all electrical appliances within let accommodation must be safe. This applies to both new and old appliances and covers all electrical items supplied for use by the Tenant. The regulations also cover fixed appliances such as cookers, fridges etc. The only method of insuring that these appliances are safe is to have them tested by a qualified electrical engineer using the portable appliance testing equipment, known as a (PAT) test.
As a Landlord, what does this mean to me?
All electrical systems/items must be:
- Certified safe at the beginning of a tenancy
- Maintained in a safe condition throughout the period of tenancy
- Maintained only by ‘competent persons’ (qualified to electrically test)
- Fit for purpose and free of defects or faults.
What should I as a Landlord do about electrical certificates?
Have an annual electrical safety inspection (i.e. the Enhanced Electrical inspection or”E2”), which includes the electrical equipment.
All testing, installation and maintenance works are done by Part P ‘competent persons’.